Newsletter - National Field Archery Society

YOUR LETTERS
The Mediterranean Loose
I HAVE long wondered about
the rules that insist on the
Mediterranean loose in various
classes.
I have been in
archery for well
over fifty years and
for over thirty
years shot with fingers
using the
Mediterranean
loose.
However, some
text books from the
1950s put forward
and explained the
Flemish loose as an
alternative, and a
few archers chose
to use it.
The Flemish loose
(for those who don’t
know) uses only two
fingers; the index
finger above the
nock, the middle finger
below. What’s
the objection to this
in the NFAS? Can
somebody explain?
As for the
Mediterranean
loose, what some
archers now use; the
index finger above
the nock but only
resting on the string and pointing
towards the target, in my
opinion only resembles a true
Mediterranean loose, it’s more
like using two fingers under.
It also seems to me that the
origin of the Flemish loose is
14
The Editor reserves the right to edit all correspondence.
perhaps nearer to home than
the Mediterranean, so why not
allow it in our society?
Larry Baker
Green Meadow Bowmen
Hi all
I’M FAIRLY new to the sport (about two years), and I
just love it.
It’s full of friendly, helpful, mad characters and
beautiful locations. Add to that the mystical business
of Barebow Instinctive, shooting at plastic animals (oh
yes, we are mad) in all weathers and you have a heady
mix. Oh, the joy when your first arrow hits exactly
where you have been looking!
I have been struggling with a couple of difficulties
though, which could easily be helped (for many of us)
by some simple additions. I know this will ruffle a few
fletchings, but here we go.
Lost arrow location – The addition of a “Line Post”,
perhaps ten feet behind some targets (maybe white
and three foot high) in line with the back of the centre
of the target and the red peg would save hours
(collectively) of searching and a few lost arrows, and
even the odd straying into another target line!
Which club shoots can I reach next month? – The
addition of the county after the name of the club on
‘Shoot Dates’ in the newsletter and online would be so
helpful to those of us who don’t yet know and/or can’t
remember which clubs are within travelling distance.
(I am still learning that I am missing some.) There are
so many clubs – they all know where they are, but I
don’t.
Well hugs and kisses – keep up the good work
Clive Metcalfe (Kent)
Dear Ed
AFTER reading 'Your letters'
in the Sept/Oct newsletter, I
am in full agreement with Ali
Le-Mar... I too am a shortie,
although much taller than Ali at
a staggering 5ft 3" 1/2, and I
too have suffered at the hands
of tall course setters.
For example, at a local shoot
earlier this year, all I could see
from the red peg
was a pair of ears
on a 3D Deer.
Declining an offer
from Gaz Tyler to
"lift me up", I had
to shoot from the
yellow peg.
We could do with
a minimum height
gauge reading "5ft"
Forever on
Tiptoes....
Gordon the Gnome
Ye Olde Delph
Bowmen
Dear Editor
I USED to buy
foam sheet ‘skins’
from a company in
Wolverhampton
which no longer
exists.
These ‘skins’ are
used by some clubs
to make targets.
We use them for
making waterproof
target faces for
the winter. We are
running low and now
require a new source. Can anybody
give me a contact that may be
able to help us.
Andy Millard
Ratpack Field Archers
andymillard@sky.com
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